Outsider
by Take-bamboo
Summary: She was the outsider of this feudal era and the Western castle. Though she was the mother of the prince, she held no positions. Does she really not belong here? Sequel to The truth hurts.
1. New life

Dear readers I am currently re-editing this story. (After reading all the reviews, I do agree that some part of the story is flawed. So really thank you all for your suggestions and critics.)

**New life**

Seven years passed since the last battle with Naraku. Naraku was finally perished. In the battle, there was no winning but losses. Though Kagura, the wind demoness, had helped the group with the location of Naraku, she too could not avoid the fate of the other incarnations and dead in the hands of her creator.

Now, at the Kaede's Village, Sango and Miroku were married and had a twin and a boy. They were expecting their forth child soon. Rin had stayed in the village as well and grown up to be a pretty lady in the village, with many suitors coming to ask for her hand in marriage. However, she refused all of them, telling each one of them that she already had someone in mind. It did not take a long time for the Inutachi to guess who the lucky lad was. They had seen Rin's blushes when she saw Kohaku coming to the village to visit them. And both Rin and Kohaku would always spend the rest of the time together, talking and playing. On the other hand, Shippo had decided to move away to learn more about fox tricks and he would come back to the village once a while to say hi to every one.

Inuyasha, well, though he was still a single with no intention to fall for anyone again, there was a girl by the name Hatsue who had just moved into the village recently. She was saved by Inuyasha from a bear demon and decided to settle down in Kaede's village to help the old miko and the villagers. She had lost her family due to famine and would like to repay their kindness for saving her. Hatsue was very fond of Inuyasha. Just maybe, the Inu hanyou would have another chance to be loved.

Sesshoumaru returned to his Western Castle to take care of his lands, while Kagome gave birth to boy, who looked very much like his father. They named the boy, Yoshiaki and as a promise, they had taken him to his grandmother, who will be taking care of him until his coming of age. That would take a long time.

During the past seven years, Kagome had been traveling routinely back and forth through the well. In the Feudal Era, she would visit her friends and look after Yoshiaki for a while and then she would be returning back to her world to be just another normal student, another normal girl. Though she had spent one year more in high school, she had now graduated from university and found a job as a humble worker in NHK, editing articles and doing other journalist work.

Today was her day off and she had exactly a week time to spend in the Feudal Era. She had packed her belongings, deciding on what to bring over carefully. She no longer wore her uniform, instead she wore what was known as causal wear in the modern world at the Feudal Era. She brought a few pairs of T-shirts and jeans to change during her stay at the other side of the well.

"Sis, can you help me pass this to Sesshoumaru?" requested Souta as he handed a bamboo tube to his sister.

"Sure," replied Kagome as she took hold of the tube and slide it inside her bag. She knew the bamboo tube contained letters written by Souta to Sesshoumaru and vice versa.

It was a few years ago when Souta suggested writing to Sesshoumaru. He had passed an envelope to her, begging her not to open it and to pass it straight to the western lord. Kagome was shocked and bewildered. She almost laughed at her brother's action. Thinking what the lord would react when he read his childish handwriting and simple writings. However, she was more puzzled and astonished when Sesshoumaru actually handed her the bamboo tube saying that it was a gift for Souta. And since then, Kagome act as a messenger between the two males, who never met but know about each other through writing. Kagome kept her promise and never peep to see what they wrote to each other

"Thanks, bye then." Souta said as he waved goodbye to his sister.

"Bye~!" she waved back to her brother as she jumped down the well to the Feudal Era. Jaken had already dutifully waited at the side of the well. He had come to fetch her with Ah Un to the Western Castle.

"Good morning, Lady Kagome. Welcome back." the green toad greeted as he saw his lady climbed out of the well. Jaken has grown to respect the priestess over the years. It was difficult for him to accept her as his lady in the first few months but he slowly changed his mind after witnessing her kindness and courage throughout her stay in the Fedual Era. Also, he really like the taste of the delicious and rare "delicacies", which the priestess will bring along with her every time she came for a visit.

"Good morning, Jaken. Sorry to keep you waiting," Kagome said as she fixed the bag around her shoulder.

"It's nothing, this Jaken can wait here as long as you come. This Jaken-"

"I get it, I get it." Kagome smiled as she interrupted the toad demon. He would probably continue his rambling if she did not stop him.

"Yes, my lady." Jaken immediately stopped but it was not long before he said, "Shall this humble servant help you up onto Ah Un? This Jaken will…"

The Western castle was huge and grand. There were different pavilions in it. The Golden Pavilion was the resident of the lord's mother, which Yoshiaki resided there with his grandmother. On the other hand, Sesshoumaru lived in the Silver Pavilion, which is as beautiful and big as the Golden Pavilion. The only difference was most of the male demons resided and worked there.

Though, Sesshoumaru lived in the same castle, the Golden Pavilion and Silver Pavilion were a distance away and Sesshoumaru seldom went to visit his mother, only on special occasion. Kagome had a room of her own in the Golden Pavilion prepared by the Lady so that she could use it whenever she visited her son.

Usually, she would visit the Golden Pavilion first and if there were time she would then go to see the western lord in the Silver Pavilion. She liked walking along the passageway and bridge, which connected the two pavilions, looking at the beautiful scenery.

"Mother!" exclaimed Yoshiaki as he caught his mother's scent. It seemed like whole summer since he last saw her.

"Yoshiaki, I miss you," Kagome said as she hugged her son tightly, giving him a kiss on the cheek. "Have you been good?"

"Of course, I managed to wield a sword now," replied Yoshiaki beaming. "I can show you," the young boy added as he took out his small sword and hold it with his clawed fingers. He swung the sword skillfully and confidently.

"That's wonderful, Yoshiaki," said Kagome as she praised him. Yoshiaki grew both physically and mentally whenever Kagome came back to see him. He either grew taller or learnt something new. Kagome was very proud of her son. The Lady was an excellent guardian.

"Is there anything for me?" asked Yoshiaki as he kept his katana, and hovered excitedly in front of his mother, glancing at the bag she brought along.

"Of course," Kagome smiled brightly at her son as she opened her bag and took out some snacks. "There is lollipops… candy floss… bubble gums. Oh then there is grandmother's cooking. Try this, Yoshiaki, grandmother specially baked this for you."

Yoshiaki took hold of the plastic container and opened the lid. It contained chocolate cookies and it smelled really delicious. "Thank you," Yoshiaki said as he took a piece and put it inside his mouth. The chocolate melts instantly inside his mouth and he loved it. "This taste delicious. Could you ask grandmother bake more for me next time?"

"Of course I will. By the way, I brought you a model to make." Kagome said as she took out a box with the picture of an airplane printed on it. "This is an airplane. It can fly and carries people across the world."

"Wow! I have never seen this before. They look like giantic flying birds. Are there any airplanes here?"

"Not yet. They are only invented in the modern era."

"Oh, I wish I could see one," said Yoshiaki slightly disappointed.

"Maybe when you are older, anyway, you would be making one," said Kagome encouragingly as she continued to explain to her son about airplanes and how to make the model. Both mother and son enjoyed their precious little time together.

….

"Good evening, Sesshoumaru," greeted Kagome as she saw Sesshoumaru standing outside the study room, along the corridor. She came across the bridge which linked the two pavilions to look for the stoic lord. Yoshiaki was currently practicing his swordsmanship with a tutor.

Sesshoumaru just looked at her with his usual expressions. However, the miko was used to this and did not care too much about his lack of acknowledgment.

"Here, Souta wanted me to pass you this," she said handing him the bamboo tube.

"Hn," he said, nodding his head slightly. Kagome was sure she saw a flicker of happiness in his eyes. _Oh well, just what do they write about in the letters._

"Shall we play chess again?" asked Kagome. She was looking forward to beating the lord again.

"I have been waiting," replied the lord as he led her to the study room. There is a low table in the middle of the room, with a square checkered board and thirty six pieces neatly placed on top of it.

"You have already set up the chess," Kagome said, stating the obvious as she moved towards the opposite side of the table, where the white chess pieces are laid out and sat down on a cushion.

"Hn. Share we start?" asked Sesshoumaru as he too sat down on the other side of the table.

"Yup!" replied Kagome as she moved one of her chess pieces forward eagerly as she thought of the strategies to win the lord.

For the past years, Kagome was trying to find something that she could do when Yoshiaki needed to attend lessons and when she finished her assignments. So, she thought of bringing some board games to play during her free time. At first, she bought scrabbles, solitaire and others. However, she found it boring and unexciting to play by herself. Eventually, she thought of asking someone to play with her. So, with much thinking, she tried her luck: to introduce chess to the Western Lord. Surely, he would not find the game boring and time wasting as it was considered an intellectual game.

"_Sesshoumaru, do you want to play chess?" asked Kagome as she held out a box from her bag._

"_Chess?" Sesshoumaru asked in return, arching an eyebrow._

"_Oh, let me explain. It's a common game among my time Chess is a broad game played by two players, on a chessboard. At the beginning, each player controls sixteen pieces and the objective of the game is to checkmate the opponent's king." Kagome said as she set up the chess game in front of him. _

"_I see, like Shogi," said Sesshoumaru, nodding his head as he looked curiously at the small pieces of chess on the square checkered board_

"_Yup, the rules and tactics are basically similar to the Japanese Shogi. However, there are differences in the chess pieces and the moves that each pieces can move," continued Kagome as she finished arranging the pieces in their position._

"_This Sesshoumaru is interested. Shall we play then?"_

"_Of course," replied the girl happily. She finally found a" playmate."_

"Checkmate," said Sesshomaru after moving a piece of chess on the checkboard.

"Hmm…I don't think so," said Kagome as she placed her piece to block the attack, grinning.

"You are good," said her opponent as he went back to his deep thinking.

"Nope, you are better," replied Kagome. She was happy that the lord had praised her. It was a rare sentence that will come out from this pompous lord.

Still, she truly felt that he was also a good player. He would always take five or more seconds to think of his other move and would always check that his chess pieces were well protected. That was why he was a good opponent to play with. Kagome enjoyed the thrill of winning the lord, especially the solemn and shocked look he would express when she captured his king.

It was quite and peaceful, with only the sound of the chess pieces moving. Both players were completely engrossed in the game, carefully planning, analyzing their moves and attacks. They would usually play late into the night before Kagome retired to bed. She even remembered playing up till three in the morning. She was surprised to see the time on her watch as she didn't even feel tired.

"I'm going to win you this time," the girl grinned at him confidently. She had watched some national chess tournaments, reading on strategies to play chess and she was positive that she had improved her attacks and defenses.

"Just try," the young lord smirked as he moved another chess piece forward.

It was already past midnight and they had ended their game before that. Kagome had retired to bed while Sesshoumaru continued his paperwork. He looked at his table and saw a scroll tied up neatly. It was the way the northern lands sent their letters or regards to the neighbouring lands.

"A letter from the northern lands." The Western lord thought and untied the strings that circled the scroll before unrolling the letter. He wondered what was it about. The Western lands has been in good relation with the Northern lands, fought several wars together since the past eras.

_Dear Lord Sesshoumaru,_

_It had been a long time since we have met. It is an utmost honour to be able to receive your invitation to visit your land. I would be arriving in a week. I guess you have finally come to uphold our promises. My beloved daughter, Sakara will be accompanying me too. Sakara had grown up and the time now is appropriate. I truly hope you would not disappoint me, or your clan. _

_Yours,_

_Lord Tsunanari_

The Western lord looked puzzled at the letter, he definitely had not sent an invitation to the Northernlands. Unless- the Western lady, his mother, sent a letter on the behalf of the Western Lands. His mother was really going to ruin and mess up his _long_ life.

...

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	2. Political alliance

**Political Alliance**

"You have not mention about Sakara to her, have you?" his mother said. Sesshoumaru came to confront his mother and discuss _**with**_ her the issue regarding the northern lands. He was definitely not going to let the Western lady make her own decision on such important matters, especially matters regarding his marriage.

It was rare for the son of the Lady to stop by the Golden Pavilion. The servants and guards could hardly remember when was the last time he graced his presence in the main building of the Golden Pavilion.

"Hn," came his son's short reply. He did not think that the northern lord would want to fulfill their promises so fast. Thanks to the letter written by his mother. He knew this would eventually happen but he did not want to confide it to the priestess yet.

"What will you do, son? It's time for her to know." The Lady asked with a small smile, which seemed to be mocking at him. And the young lord did not like it at all.

His mother's words were true. Kagome needed to know what was going on. She had the rights to know. Sesshoumaru doubted she has the knowledge in the custom of the demons. Just how much did she know about demon society anyway? But how was he supposed to tell her. He could not probably lecture her on the whole accord between the two lands to her. That was more than four hundred years old accord. It would take weeks, even months for her to fully comprehend the situation. Even he would need to make a "small speech" to explain the treaty.

Still, he knew not how the girl would react to this accord. Though it concerned only the Western lands and Northern lands. This accord concerned him. It was about his life, his heir of the throne. It was his father's fault. He was the one who so happily agreed to the proposal made by the lord of the northern lands, Lord Tsunanari. He told him that a political alliance would strengthen ties between the two lands. He was too young then to understand anything about the proposal, nor was he able to oppose to it. He was not even aware of it until he had lived through two centuries.

"You sent an invitation letter to the Northern Lands without my knowledge," Sesshoumaru said, avoiding the question.

"Lord Tsunanari will be here in a week's time and so is Sakara," the Lady said stressing the princess name and dismissed the remark made by her son. She did not need to explain to her son for her action; after all she was the Western Lady. She was obviously enjoying the facial expression of her troubled son. It was a precious sight. It was a sight that could only be seen once in a while; or once in a lifetime for one; or none for the others.

"You need not worry. This Sesshoumaru knows what to do." Sesshoumaru answered coldly.

"Oh, is it? Sesshoumaru chan" The lady said, her voice was soft but there was a slight snicker hidden between her lines.

She had indeed sent the invitation letter to the Northern lands, it was time for her son to acknowledge such an important accord, left by his father. She believed her son would hold up to the promises with Lord Tsunanari. However, she was interested to know how he would deal with the whole situation, especially with the little miko. She was sure she would enjoy it a lot.

The Western Lady was a person who held the least interest in politics. In fact, she disliked it. However, since the death of her husband, she had been the one who ruled the Western Lands, forged strong alliance with the other lords and attended important functions. She found many of those matters mandatory for a lady, but she was really getting excited over this political alliance. In fact, she was actually looking forward to the arrival of the visitors, the northern lord and his daughter.

Meanwhile, the Western Lord paid no heed to his mother and was in deep thoughts. His expression turned cold as he looked once again at the scroll written by Lord Tsunanari.

"Good bye, Yoshiaki, I will be back next week." Kagome said as she lifted the boy up and kissed his cheeks.

A week flew past and it was time for her to return to her time. They were standing at the front gate where Kagome would ride on Ah Un with Jaken back to the Kaede's village.

"Good bye, Mama," the boy murmured as he rested his head on his mother's shoulder. His hand was around her neck and he held it tightly. He loved his mother. He hoped his mother could stay by his side, every day, every hour, every minute. "I do not want you to go." He said out his wish to his mother as he tightened his hold. Feeling the warmth of his mother and safeness in her arms.

"Oh, Yoshiaki, I do not wish to leave you too. But there are people who need me at the other side. I will only be out for a few days. You are already a big boy," Kagome said as she returned the hug.

"Promise you will be back fast," the boy said with hope. He did not want to part with his mother.

"Hn," she said as she put her son down. She bent down and held out her hand to him, showing her little finger to him. Knowing this familiar action, Yoshiaki, too, held out his hand and their little fingers touched. Then they hooked each other's little finger. "Promise." Kagome smiled as she took the pledge.

"You are leaving." A deep masculine voice spoke. It was none other than the western lord who spoke.

"Father," Yoshiaki smiled with glee. He was overjoyed to see his father in the Golden Pavilion. Though the young lord came to the dojo to see his son occasionally, Yoshiaki was pleased to see his father nonetheless.

On the other hand, Kagome was rather stunned. Sesshoumaru, the lord of the western lands, had never come to see her off before. Nor had she ever seen his presence in the Golden Pavilion. She wondered why he was present.

"Yes, I am going home," she finally said, glad that she was able to keep her voice intact.

"Why are you here, father?" Yoshiaki asked. Kagome was glad that the boy was the one who questioned the young lord. She doubted she could ask him without wavering her voice.

"To see you, Yoshiaki," the lord replied. His eyes soften as he stroked the boy's hair.

"This Yoshiaki is so happy," he jumped in joy as he mouth twitched into a wide smile. His father looked back at him with a slight smile. Yoshiaki was truly adorable.

"Kagome," he called her as he turned his attention to the girl standing in front of him.

"Yes?" The girl was delighted that he had called her by her name. Not the usual nicknames. Woman, miko, wench or whatever. She was tired of these demons who thought so highly of themselves.

He paused for a few seconds and stared at her, contemplating on the right words to say. He had just visited his mother to discuss on the accord with the Northern Lands and his mother's words were still fresh in his mind.

_What will you do, son?_

He could inform her about the political alliance, explain to her the importance of the accord and tell her about the terms agreed between the two lands. But no, not now, he was not ready. He still needed some time to ponder over the situation.

There was something about him when he looked at her in the eyes. _What's wrong with him? _She thought but shrugged it off.

"Take care," he finally said, keeping his turmoil at bay.

"Hn, goodbye then." Kagome waved and hugged Yoshiaki for the last time, not at all disturbed by the weird display of the western lord. She climbed up to Ah Un and set off to Kaede's village with the faithful retainer, Jaken.

...

"Sis, how's Yoshiaki?" asked Souta as he took the bamboo tube from his sister's hand and murmured thank you. He was excited to open up the tube and read the letter in his room later.

His sister had just arrived home from the well. Geez, it sounded creepy to him. He was glad that the well was made of wood rather than the stone one shown in the movie, "The Ring." He could not get to sleep after watching the movie with his boy friends. They had forced him to watch it, saying he got to be a man. Oh, how he regret it now.

"He's great and fine. He loves mum's cooking," Kagome replied as she carried her bag, which was so much lighter now without the snacks and presents.

"Sure he does," Souta smiled agreeably. "And Sesshoumaru?" Though he knew it was not necessary to ask since he got the reply from the lord.

"Oh him? He's probably thinking hard about the moves that I made to win him." Kagome said gleefully as she remembered how happy and satisfied she was when she finally beat that demon lord. "Oh yes. I got some more photos. I will go get them printed after my work tomorrow."

"Let me do it then, I'm free after school, the coach cancelled the training." Souta offered. He was currently in high school and he joined the football club. He was much taller now, a head taller than his sister and very fit.

"Really? That is very nice of you. Thank you Souta," said Kagome as she handed the film to Souta.

"It's nothing," Souta mumbled as he slid the film inside his pocket.

Kagome was very grateful that she had such a caring brother. Souta was always lending a helping hand. He did not argue about running errands, going to the market or delivering package to the neighbours. He took great care of grandfather when he was hospitalized. Their grandfather was diagnosed with diabetes and had to go to the hospital for regular check ups. Kagome did try to accompany him as much as she could but Souta would always be the one who stayed with him.

"So how's school?" she asked her brother as they walked back to the house. She was glad to be back, back to her own time. This is the place where she grew up in.

...

_Finally, I could meet Lord Sesshoumaru again._ The princess in the carriage thought silently. The lord of the Northern lands and his men were making their way to the Western Castle. It had been a while since the two lords have met.

Similar to the Western lands, Lord Tsunanari took care of matters in his lands at the Northern side of Japan. His territory was considered big but not bigger than the Western Lands. Both the lords of the two lands had been great political partners in the few centuries.

Lord Tsunanari could still remember the days when he fought along side with the deceased lord – Inutaisho. He had long to meet his old friend. He was greatly saddened by the news of his death. How could he, a great warrior die in the hands of a human? Nevertheless, burnt to ashes. Lord Tsunanari had thought of visiting the grave of his old friend but was unable to find it and doubt he ever would.

He was glad that he would be meeting his friend's son instead. He heard he had grown up to be a respectable lord like his father. Lord Tsunanari remembered the young lord. He had seen him in a battle years ago. Though the western lord was young, he was clever, meticulous, good looking and had excellent leadership skills. Lord Tsunanari was overjoyed to meet this young lord again. He could imagine him growing up to be a great lord just like his old friend.

His daughter, Sakara had blossomed to a ravishing beauty, talented in literature, music and all those skills required for a young lady. He was proud of her, perfect in every way. He was glad that the tutors had taught her well and rewarded them handsomely. He was more than happy to learn that Sakara was of age to be married. The thought of finally able to fulfill his promises made with his old friend add on to his happiness. He was really in a good mood that day.

_Yes, Sakara would make a perfect mate for Sesshoumaru. _The lord of the northern lands thought contentedly as he and his men continued their journey to the western lands.


	3. Arrival

**Arrival**

"Do I look alright?" asked the princess in the carriage as she looked in the mirror, arranging her hair. She smiled to herself; it was an elusive smile which revealed hints of her joy. She was finally able to see her childhood friend, her lover, her lord. Her hair was beautifully tied and she wore a stylish silk kimono.

"You look beautiful." Koemi, the lady in waiting said reassuringly. She would be accompanying the lady in the carriage throughout her stay in the Western Castle. Koemi was a few decades older than Sakara, and treated the princess like her young sister.

"Alright, I'm ready." The princess said softly as she took a last look in the mirror before shoving open the curtains to descend from the carriage.

She was Lady Sakara, the daughter of Lord Tsunanari. They too were Inu youkais and had relatively the same power and influence as the Western Lord.

"Do not be nervous," her father told her as he lifted a hand to help her down the carriage.

"Thank you, father." the princess descended from the carriage gracefully.

"Welcome," the Western Lady of the Golden Pavilion greeted them with warm welcome. "Nice to meet you again, Lord Tsunanari," she bowed slightly to him while the lord bowed back.

"My pleasure, Lady," Lord Tsunanari said.

"Ah, you must be Sakara," the Lady said as she turned to look at Sakara.

"Yes my lady, it is my pleasure to see you." Lady Sakara bowed with precise angle and style, a perfect greeting stance for a lady.

"Ho-ho-ho, you've grown so beautiful."

"Thank you, my lady," Sakara said as her face flushed.

"Grandmother~!"

Both Lord Tsunanari and Sakara was shocked to find a little boy which looked so much like the Western lord appeared in front of them. The boy ran straight pass them towards the Lady.

"Oh, Yoshiaki. Here, greet the guests; this is Lord Tsunanari and his daughter Lady Sakara. They are from the Northern Lands."

Yoshiaki greeted them with the usual formality and turned his attention back to his grandmother. "Can I go to the garden after my lessons?"

"Of course, you can. And since today is a special day, you can have your free time after lunch."

"Thank you grandmother," the boy was delighted. Usually, he could only rest after all his lessons and training, which last until dinnertime. He was overjoyed to be able to play for half the day. Excitedly, he greeted goodbye to his grandmother and the guests before running off jumpily out of the main building.

"The boy is your grandson?" Lord Tsunanari asked momentarily. He was shocked. He had never heard of the young Western Lord being married.

"Yes, Yoshiaki is the child of my son, Sesshoumaru." The Lady answered in a matter of fact way.

That only made Lord Tsunanari more confused and bewildered. He had never heard of anything about the Lady of the Western Land. Sakara was supposed to be the Lady of the Western Lands. Surely, the young lord would not cancel off the proposal. "Sesshoumaru was married?" he asked, trying not to hold back his puzzlement.

"Of course not. That's right, you wouldn't know about it, would you? " The Lady chuckled before she continued. "Though Yoshiaki was truly my grandson, Sesshoumaru was not married yet."

"An infatuation to a girl then," Lord Tsunanari commented as he heaved a sign of relieve.

"You may say that, Lord Tsunanari."

On the other hand, Sakara who kept quiet throughout the whole conversation, spoke softy, "Who is the girl, my lady?"

Sakara was curious. She knew that girls in this ungentle era were considered nothing but political alliance, a chess piece that allowed different lords to form alliance. A tactic, a strategy to protect relations between each province, each land. Everything was a mere transaction. Game played by men. Women were seen as something to gain power, women are those who suffered under this cruel fate.

Still, Sakara felt betrayed, cheated and humiliated. Unlike other girls, she knew who she was going to marry, she knew who was this young lord she was going to spend the rest of her life with. She knew him. She had seen him before and they were actually playmates during their childhood. She knew Sesshoumaru was not someone who would tell you everything and share his thoughts with you. Yet, Sakara felt that he should have at least told her father that he had a son.

She was shocked that Sesshoumaru even had a son. She knew he would never show any interest to woman. He did not even lift an eye to look at her like the rest of the young lords when he came with the Inutaisho to their northern lands.

"Hmm… Sakara, you aren't interested in her, are you?" said the Lady playfully.

"No…Not really, I think we could be friends."

Hearing this, the Lady almost laughed. Sakara would be angered to know this girl. How could the two ever be friends? "Kagome," she said finally.

"Pardon?" Sakara did not catch it.

"Kagome Higurashi, that's the girl who bore my grandson."

"Is she the daughter of any high ranking attendant?" Sakara guessed. That was the only way a girl could get to be in close contact with the young lord.

"No, she was just a commoner. In fact, a human, if you want to know."

A human? Sakara was dumbfounded. Sesshoumaru was a demon, an aristocratic and from her understanding of him, he would not sink himself so low to fall for a human. Sakara felt even more humiliated. She was puzzled.

"You must be kidding, my Lady." This time Lord Tsunanari interrupted. He hypothesised that the young Western Lord must had showed interest in one of the high ranking scholar's daughter or the general's daughter who was rumored to be very pretty. He knew the young lord disliked humans. Surely there was a mistake.

"Ho-ho-ho. Does this one enjoy joking?"

_Yes. _Lord Tsunanari thought silently. "This boy will be the heir of the Western Lands then?" Lord Tsunanari asked warily. He disliked the idea very much. The boy would pose a threat to the position of Sakara. The heir was supposed to be the blood of the two lands.

"Do not worry, my Lord. Sesshoumaru knows exactly what he needs to do," the Lady continued while she just shrugged off the question as if the matter was not of any importance.

Lord Tsunanari's heart lightened slightly at this information. Yes, such a creature would not pose much threat to his daughter. Sakara had known the young lord for so long, more than three hundred years. She was so devoted to him, refusing all the affections of other young, handsome lords. Surely, Sesshoumaru would understand her feelings. Surely, he would not turn her away.

Sakara would be the one who would be standing beside this young lord, Sesshoumaru one day. And so would their children.

Later that day, Sakara and the other people resided in the guest rooms. Her father had gone to meet the young lord. It was noted that another Pavilion would be specially built for the soon-to-be Lady of the Western Lands. Meanwhile, Sakara was considered a guest and she would reside in the Golden Pavilion with the older Lady. She would also be learning about the lifestyle and traditions in the Western Lands. The Lady would be mentoring her on the dos and don'ts. It may seem troublesome to some but that was the rule of the lands.

Sakara was actually looking forward to her lessons with the Lady. She liked the Lady a lot. She was still kind and humorous. Though she was still puzzled by the situation, she would also want to meet with the little boy, Yoshiaki. She learnt that the boy too reside in the Pavilion. There would be much time for them to know each other.

Koemi's room was situated next door and she had already unpacked her belongings for her. Koemi was close to her. She had been her tutor since she was young, acting like an older sister. Sakara did not have any sister; she was the only princess in the northern lands. Her brothers was always teasing her and pushing her around.

She would also want to meet the girl, Kagome Higurashi. Just how did Sesshoumaru fall for her? Nonetheless, the girl must be really special. She still could not believe Sesshoumaru showing affections to any female.

Since young, Sesshoumaru was not a talkative boy. The first day she saw him, he was standing at the side of the garden alone. Her brothers and her were busy playing swordsmanship and catching. Yet, he did not seem to be interest in games at all. He just looked towards the sky and remained silent. Neither asking to join in the game nor practicing anything. Just standing there. Alone.

It was only when her eldest brother noticed him, that he was the son of the great western lord, then he accepted their invitation to join in their games. Sakara was surprised to know that he was fast and skillful. He beat her second brother in combat and even managed to outrun her eldest brother who was known to be the fastest runner in the castle.

Yet, Sesshoumaru never showed any sign of victory or accomplishment. He did not even smile when he won, unlike her brothers who jumped up in joy each time they outrun the other. Maybe it was because of his personality, his composure that attracted Sakara and she slowly grown to like him a lot.

She was still a kid then. However, as she grew older, her feelings for him grew. And her heart blossomed when she realized she was engaged to him, her lover. She did not know how Sesshoumaru felt about her and wished he would love her too. She would train hard and be the perfect mate for him.

Once she peeped out of the balcony to take a glimpse of him when the Western lord came for a visit in the Northern Lands. She could remember clearly his face, his features, the way he swung his swords. She wanted to see him so much.

...

Another week passed and Kagome was returning to the other side of the well again. She would only be there for a day of so. She felt that she was something like what they say in the modern slang- weekend dad. Only that she was a "weekend mum."

As usual, Jaken and Ah Un would be waiting for her dutifully at the side of the well. However, when they reached the Western Castle, there was something different about the place. The servants and officials in the Castle were all running up and down, preparing this and that. Also, all the demons in the Castle were nicely dressed, even the low ranking servants wore their best clothes and the maids put on make up.

"Huh? What's going on, Jaken?" asked Kagome as she climbed down from Ah Un and walked beside Jaken into the Golden Pavilion to her assigned room.

"Oh, forgive your forgetful servant, my lady," the little green toad bowed apologetically.

"Stop it, Jaken, you know how I hate all this formalities." Kagome said impatiently.

"All right. The lord of the Northern Land had arrived. He was Lord Tsunanari. He had come with his daughter, Lady Sakara to discuss some important matters. They were here four days ago."

"A political forum?"

She was excited and anxious. There was actually something of great importance happening here. She still did not have a chance to attend any political forum for her news writing. Most of the information were sent or reported to her by her colleagues while she read through and edit them. Then, she compiled the necessary information and typed it out as a single page newspaper article for the editors.

She was anxious to experience what is it like to be in the front line of the news. She smiled as she thought of a picture of an article with the headline, "The political alliance between the Western and Northern Lands."

"That is right. Lord Sesshoumaru had said this was an important event and Lord Tsunanari had been a vital ally for the Western Land since the deceased Inutaisho. "

"I see, then why was his daughter here?" Kagome knew that ladies of this era would not usually travel out of their lands to visit guests. It was not appropriate for the customs. This meeting must be really important.

"This one does not know," Jaken said hesitantly. Jaken had vaguely heard about the political alliance between the two lands, they are the rulers of the Inuyoukai and he was not familiar with this kind. After all, he was a toad youkai, which had much simpler ruling system.

Kagome felt that there was something that Jaken was hiding, but shrugged it off. Maybe it was just her imagination.


	4. Encounter

**Encounter**

"Let me do the introduction, this is Sakara, daughter of the Northern lord, Lord Tsunanari. Her attendant Koemi," said the Western Lady as she made a hand gesture to indicate the respective females. The Western Lady had invited the female guests to a tea ceremony. She had also invited Kagome who was present in the pavilion. There were wives of generals and ladies in waiting presented as well. "And finally this is Kagome Higurashi, mother of Prince Yoshiaki." The order she introduced the female according to ranks made some demoness uneasy and they bowed shyly to their guests.

Kagome had seen Yoshiaki and gave him presents from the modern times. Once again, Yoshiaki was delighted to eat the cooking of his grandmother. He even exclaimed that grandmother must be the best cook in the world. Since Yoshiaki needed to attend lessons arranged by the Lady, and she could not refuse the invitation, she attended the ceremony with a simple kimono chosen by Satsuki.

"It is my pleasure to meet you, Kagome," Sakara said as she bowed slightly to the only human in the room. She looked at Kagome, though her gaze was gentle, Kagome felt like Sakara was inspecting her like a piece of merchandise. The other demoness cast a look at Kagome with a slight nod. They had seen her before though Kagome could not remember all the names of the demoness in the court.

"It is my honour," said Kagome as she bowed formally to the Northern princess. She was surprised to find so many demoness attending the ceremony. What's more, she had never seen such a beautiful demon before. Sakara stood out among the females and she was so indefinably elegant and graceful that she reminded her of the contestants in the Miss World beauty contest.

"Sakara is going to stay with us for a long time. Won't you pour tea for our guests, Sakara?" said the Lady as she pushed the tray of teapot towards Sakara smoothly.

"Yes," said Sakara and she held the handle of the teapot.

_A long time?_ Kagome wondered. The political discussion would definitely take at least one month, she estimated. Though she dared not raised the question. As if reading her mind, the Lady continued.

"My son is so slow in this area, isn't he," the Lady chuckled. "Sesshoumaru should be announcing the wedding shortly. Sakara would soon be the Lady of this Western land."

Sakara blushed when she heard murmurs from the ladies and words of congratulations bestowed to her.

At the moment, Kagome was unable to think of something to say. She felt as if she was splashed with cold water. She kept her composure and tried not to keep herself from shaking. It must be the cold wind she thought. The weather was turning colder as winter approach. _The lady of the Western Lands_. She was not surprised; she had guessed why the northern princess was here. There was one reason why a lady would travel out of town with her father- a marriage alliance. She felt cheated as she was hidden from all the truth. Was that why Jaken hesitated? Was Jaken afraid to tell her about Sakara. And then there was the arrogant lord. He could have told her something. She would have known it sooner or later. All of a sudden, she was aware of the pressure the youki of the demonesses, suffocating her and her own power threatening to rise.

"What is the matter, Kagome sama? Your face is pale," whispered Satsuki to the human lady in front of her, casting her a look of genuine concern.

"It's nothing, It is just the weather," Kagome said, keeping her words in tact.

"Are you alright, Kagome chan," the Lady turned her head to her, "it happens to slip my mind that your frail human body may not adjust to the cold." Her voice was smooth but Kagome could feel the chill of her words as she looked back meekly at the Lady.

"I apologies for my rudeness, but I hope you would grant me to leave early to rest," said Kagome brusquely with courtesy.

"Alright. Take care of your human body, ne. This winter is going to be really cold.'

"I will."

"My Lady, I would like to know more about Kagome," requested Sakara.

"Another time, Sakara," the Lady said before Kagome could answer and turned to Kagome, "My my, you look really sick, go on and rest."

"Yes, my Lady." Kagome said and stood up to leave the room swiftly but with grace. And Satsuki followed her behind.

As she neared her assigned room, Kagome let out a deep breath, not knowing that she had held on to her breathing. She was unsure of the intention of the Lady. The way she voiced out the fact that her human body was frail in front of the ladies in court was unnerving. The Lady had never mocked her like that before. She felt the Lady became even furthermore unreachable to her. Like mother, like son, the two of them were so unreadable. The obi tied around her waist suddenly felt so tight that made her difficult to breath. She went into her room and changed back into her turtleneck T-shirt and jeans.

"Are you feeling better?" Satsuki asked. She was used to the modern clothes Kagome wore in the castle. It looked ridiculous but not offending in the castle.

"Yes, thank you for your concern, Satsuki," said Kagome as she brushed her hair and asked "Do you know that Sakara is betrothed to Sesshoumaru?"

"Indeed I do. Everyone in the castle knows it. Really, you must not have heard the gossips of the castle, haven't you?"

"Gossips? No, I haven't heard of them. But I do know what they are. In my time, people like to gather around in groups and talk about nothing in particular but gossip. There are even paparazzi around my neighbourhood."

"Pa- pa-ra-zi?" Satsuki looked confused at Kagome who sat down beside her as she tried to repeat that word.

"Yes. A group of people whose job is to stalk super stars, models. Then send any reports or pictures they got about these people, their private lives especially."

"What is a super star?"

"You know, someone very famous and talented."

"Like Lord Sesshoumaru?"

"Um. Yes. That's a possible example." Kagome giggled as the thought of a group of paparazzi stalking the Western lord and then, in the end they were all scared to death and ran off with their cameras due to his deathly stare.

"Is there anything funny about Lord Sesshoumaru?"

"Oh. It's nothing." Said Kagome as she shrugged her shoulder, not bothering to explain her imagination to Satsuki. Satsuki probably would not understand and thought it was an offensive remark. "You know, I was really glad I do not have to write articles on these pop singers and actors. There are just too many scandals going on."

"Then what do you write about, Kagome?" said Satsuki. When they were alone, Satsuki would drop the honorific form. The human girl treated her with respect and kindness, and she was happy to be her friend and serve her.

Kagome seemed to realize that she had not talked much about her job to anyone in this era yet. Not even to Sango or her son. "Oh, I forget to explain to you. You see, there are many different sectors in my job. It is like a team. Everyone has a part to play. There was someone who edits, someone who writes articles like a scholar, which is what I am doing. Someone who sends the reports for printing and many more."

"Like how a castle is administrated," Satsuki gave a meaningful nod.

"Yes," Kagome smiled as she carried on sharing with Satsuki more about her job as a journalist. She was glad to there was someone whom she could talk to in the Pavilion. Satsuki was really a good listener and witty in the mind. She would pay attention to what Kagome said and asked questions regarding her life in modern time. Sometimes, Satsuki in turn would confide things to her.

It had been a long while since her blissful conversation with Satsuki. Looking at the bamboo tube in her hand, she wondered if she should meet the Western Lord that day. However, the letter from Souta had to be delivered and she could not possibly hand in over to him via a servant. It was rude. The thought of the teatime with the ladies in court made her uneasy. She looked up to see him standing a few feet away from her. She head reached their usual meeting place without realizing it.

"Good evening. Sesshoumaru. Souta wants me to pass you this," Kagome said, gladful that her voice came out smoothly.

"Hn." Sesshoumaru gave a gentle nod but did not show any sign of speaking anything to her.

"Shall we play chess then?" she asked cheerfully.

He did not say a word and walked into the room to sit down on the cushion. Kagome followed him and took her seat on the other side and they started their first game.

The atmosphere in the room was peaceful but Kagome felt her body was stiffened. She could not concentrate on the game. There was something on her mind. She was wondering the reasons the lord sitting opposite of her did not tell her about the marriage alliance between the two lands.

_Life is like a chessboard; each move will lead to a whole different life._ That was a quote she had read a few months ago. It was so true. _Concentrate. Focus. Kagome._ She thought her mind silently as she placed a chess piece on the black coloured square box. She was sure she was going to lose terribly if her mind continued to wander away from the game. Her chess pieces were moving backwards to defend the king instead of forward to attack the opponent's. She glanced at her opponent, whose face was still in the usual expression. His lips pursed in a thin line while his eyes focused on the chessboard intensively. He was absorbed in the game.

Suddenly, the sound of two wooden blocks against each other startled her which immediately pulled Kagome out of her train of thoughts. Sesshoumaru had just moved up his bishop. Her queen was surrounded and she was retreating. There was no choice but to sacrifice some chess pieces. Sacrifice or not? She thought.

"That's cruel," she muttered as she moved my queen forward to capture his knight. However, it was a fruitless attempt to save the queen for she predicted his next move- to move up his rook to take over the queen. At least she removed his knight in exchange for her queen. One for one. No win, no lose. Still, she felt very annoyed at losing her queen. Queen was one of favourite chess piece. Still, sacrifice was necessary to protect her king.

She clenched the knight in her palm and was determined to play a good game. With much confidence, she moved her rook forward and contemplated each move more carefully this time and changed her tactic to attack rather than retreat. Soon, she was going to surround his king with her chess pieces. But he was good, really good. She was taken aback when his knight suddenly took over her rook. She signed in defeat, as there was no way she could win this game.

"You are tense," said Sesshoumaru as he moved another chess piece forward. Just one more step and the game would be over.

She looked intently at the chess piece and moved a chess piece which was totally a useless move. Then she stretched her hands and neck and said, "That's because you took my queen and I was thinking hard how to protect my king from your vicious attack. Needless to say, I am losing."

"Hn," he said and lifted another chess piece, "Checkmate."

"Congrats for winning," she commented.

"Another round?" he asked and took a sip of green tea.

Kagome remained silent and took up the cup beside her and drank from it. The tea was sweet and warmth her body. Then she placed the cup down and told him, "No, I don't think so. I am exhausted from the tea ceremony earlier."

"Tea ceremony?" Sesshoumaru said as he etched an eyebrow.

"Your mother invited me to a tea ceremony with the northern guests, I met the northern princess. Sakara is a fine lady," said Kagome and picked up the chess pieces to keep them in a box.

He paused for a while as if trying to decipher what she had said.

"What did you talk about?"

"Nothing in particular. Mostly about your upcoming marriage with Sakara," said Kagome as she forced a smile to sound cheerful. "Congratulations to you."

"It is a promise," he said in a matter of fact tone. "My father signed a treaty with the Northern lord many centuries ago."

"I understand. Still I would like to tell you not to worry. I would not trouble you too much." Kagome had kept all the chess pieces by then and sat down on the cushion with her hands on her lap.

"What do you mean?" he said curtly as he fixed her gaze at her.

"Well, it would be inappropriate if I meet you…erm….alone since you are engaged and Sakara is living here. It might result in unnecessary misunderstandings," said Kagome as she played with her fingers.

"That would not trouble this Sesshoumaru."

"It will trouble me," she said without delay. The oppressiveness she felt in the castle would be unbearable for her if she got deeper into any mess. The Lady was infamous for finding fault in anyone she saw in the Pavilion of hers. "So, I think it would be best if I stop visiting you."

"What about the letter?"

"I would still deliver it, don't worry," she answered, not expecting his great concern for the letters. _What do they write about?_

"I see. You want to keep our distance."

"Yes, thanks for your understanding," said Kagome with a nod. Her mind felt relieved yet her heart felt otherwise.

…..

On her way back, she met Koemi. Kagome made a small bow and greeted, "Good evening." While behind her, Satsuki did a full greeting to the guest. Koemi greeted back but with her lips pursed, she seemed to be slightly offended by Kagome's greeting.

"May I ask what matter do you have here?" Kagome asked politely and she noticed Sakara was nowhere to be seen.

"Right, to keep this meeting short, I will come straight to the point. For my mistress sake, I would like you to stay away from Lord Sesshoumaru."

"What?" exclaimed Kagome. _She did not just say that._

"Lady Sakara would soon be the Western Lady and the least this humble servant can do for her is to request your cooperation to refrain from meeting Lord Sesshoumaru," Koemi added as her mouth twitched into a fake smile.

Kagome felt appalled by Koemi's actions. Kagome knew what she needed to do and need not be pushed around by a lady-in-waiting. She replied, "I believe this is none of your business."

"I am afraid it is wise if you learn your place, human. Lady Sakara is the daughter of one of the greatest daiyoukai lords in Japan and the future wife of Lord Sesshoumaru. If you like to know, my mistress had been Lord Sesshoumaru playmate since they were very young, hundreds of years ago before you were born. Your feelings are nothing compared to Lady Sakara's."

"My feelings?" Kagome mumbled, she was fuming though she hid her emotions. _So this was about her humanity again. Koemi was just another racist. _She remained silent, as she did not feel like talking to the Northern servant at all. It made her uncomfortable.

Satsuki whom Koemi paid no attention to suddenly spoke, "I suggest you leave immediately, Lady Kagome still have much to do."

"You call her a Lady, " said Koemi as she turned her eyes at Satsuki.

"As a matter of fact Lady Kagome deserved much more respect than this, "chided Satsuki as she held her head high. Never mind if Koemi was a guest, if she was going to stay in the Pavilion for the rest of her life, she had to learn the rules of the Western lands.

Kagome was grateful that Satsuki stood up for her. Warmth surged through her heart and she could not help smiling.

Koemi must have felt that there was nothing more to say. Then she tensed for a few seconds before turning away abruptly and walked swiftly down the passageway. "Mark my words." Those are the three words she left for the two.

Kagome looked questioning at the leaving figure.

"Lady Sakara was calling her," explained Satsuki.

Kagome nodded, she understood the fact that there were certain sounds that could not reach her ears from far. "She has a very haughty way on her," Kagome complained to Satsuki immediately after Koemi was out of sight.

"Kagome, though I dislike her, it is inappropriate to speak ill of the guests," Satsuki chided.

"Well there were only two of us here."

Satsuki shook her head and said, "Walls have ears and don't forget, you are living with Inu youkai, Kagome. We are especially sensitive to sounds."

"Is that why Inu youkais in general keep things to themselves?"

"No, of course not. Kagome." Satsuki retorted, however she was unable to find a better explanation straight away and could not help but agree Kagome's conjecture to a certain extent. "I believe, though I may be wrong, it is mostly due to the upbringing of the aristocratic family. "

…

It was midnight and the young Western Lord was thinking quietly alone in his study room. The pavilion had become even quieter and there were only a few servants and guards roaming around the castle. The moonlight shone from the balcony and fell on the chessboard, which glistened slightly.

Kagome had left after just one set of game in the excuse of tiredness. Usually they would play at least three games. She had lost devastated, careless to forsake her horse for the rook and foolish to lose her queen so easily. She had always guarded her queen closely. Sesshoumaru knew that queen was her favourite chess piece. During her unusual short presence, he could sense her multi feelings through her aura. Her shoulder was tensed and her eyes were constantly staring at the board, but not at the chess pieces. He wondered if she was feeling ill but upon sniffing the air, he dismissed the idea and continued to focus on the game.

Sesshoumaru had not anticipated that she already met Sakara. Sakara was residing in the Golden Pavilion as a guest; under normal circumstances they would hardly have a chance to meet. Well, not unless his mother was involved.

Seshoumaru regretted not having spoken to the priestess about Sakara earlier. In fact, he had already planned on how to speak to the priestess about the engagement, considering the choice of words. Yet, when he felt her presence, he was taken in by her sweet cherry blossom scent and was tongue tight. He was glad Kagome did not notice it.

He always looked forward to their meeting. It was a time for him to unwind after all the paperworks and training he had for the whole week. He felt calm and comfortable around her. Kagome was different from anyone he had known. Though she may not be a fine lady like Lady Sakara, she was bold, witty and courageous. She would express her thoughts freely and share with him about her life or anything. Unlike those in the pavilion or the nobles who act with formalities and hid their emotions, Kagome was just herself. And it was serene and nice to be with her. Sesshoumaru truly enjoyed the company of her. She was the only human who was able to show him her human world, apart from Rin.

She was right when she said he was cruel. He did not spoke to her about such important matters and took away many of her precious thing, her rights to bring up their son, Yoshiaki. After their fateful encounter, he had promised to take care of her. He had hurt her too much. Yet traditions and honor were something a lord need to uphold to. He was a lord and he had to protect and take care of his people, his land. There was no way breaking the four hundred years agreement. There was no way the elders would agree to having a child born to a human to be an heir. There was no way he was going to make up for Kagome.

On the other hand, his intended, Sakara was one of the prettiest and elegant Inu youkai of the country. Sesshoumaru had known her since young, occasionally played games and swordsmanship with her brothers. She was always standing at the sidelines, cheering for her brothers. But they never talked. Whenever Sakara saw him, she would shun away and moved closer to her brothers. There was only courtesy greetings and bowing exchangeed. When they were older, they hardly meet. When the Inutaisho and his son visited the Northern Lands, Sakara would stay away from the administration buildings with the rest of the ladies. Even if they do meet, Sakara would act like any other lady, hid her face under her sleeeves and moved away swiftly. A rule of the aristocratic families for the girls: Minimal or no contact to any male, even their father.

Sesshoumaru learnt about the engagement when he was two centuries old. It did not bother him since he was still young and it would be a very very long time before she would become his wife then. Sesshoumaru did not think about the matter since then, he was busy training, learning and practicing hard to surpass his father. He was busy and marriage was not something that crossed his mind.

Not until he met Kagome.

Sesshoumaru remembered the first time he met her. She was either too foolish or too bold to point a finger at him and scolded him for trying to kill her. He was curious about the girl since then. She never ceased to surprise him - her dressing code, her stubbornness to interrupt his fight with his half brother, her cheerfulness during difficult times. She was a mystery to him and still was.

Because of her, he had lost his fight with his half brother for the first time and many times more. Because of her, he had become stronger, always seeking new power to challenge his brother. Because of her, he changed his views on humans as he observed her interaction with the Inutaichi. Because of her, he learnt about true courage...the list goes on and because of her; he had his son, Yoshiaki. Her presence had changed so much of his life, even his mother could tell.

Because of her, he wished he never signed the proposal with his thumbprint four hundred years ago. He would have without question, followed the alliance and married Sakara if Kagome had not become part of his responsibility. Sesshoumaru felt nothing for Sakara. To him, she was just like any other young ladies whom he came across for the past centuries. Demure, modest, beautiful, elegant, all the qualities a lady should have, just like how his mother was raised. Definitely a perfect mate for a young lord likes him, yet this did not appease him fully. He wanted something more in his future Western Lady.

However, he was not irrational, he understood fully the importance of this marriage alliance. The position and power that the Western lands could gain and vice versa. Rumours spread that the other lords were building up their forces; it was wise to ally with another lord at this time.

The Lord of northern lands and his Council were already making arrangements for the wedding ceremony in another six months. A Pavilion was already under construction for the future Western Lady to reside in.

When Kagome spoke of Sakara, Sesshoumaru was rather surprised by her calm reaction to the situation, despite the turmoil she was feeling. She was not protesting and the fact she voiced out the request to keep their distance, he was unsure what to say. He respected her wishes. For the time being, they would keep their distance. That was what she wanted. He was deciding whether to send forth a servant then to retrieve the letter. But Kagome promised she would deliver it. Should he then meet her and their son at the Golden Pavilion instead, he wondered.

Sesshoumaru drank some brewed tea to clear his mind. He despised being uncertain. He could understand the smirk his mother gave him the other day. He really wished he could drag his father back from the other world and have a good fight with him.


	5. Questions

**Questions**

The incidents in the Golden Pavilion had not left Kagome's mind and she was exhausted from the sleepless night she had. She simply could not fall asleep. She had returned home and was dressing up for work.

"Good Morning," she said as she sat down for breakfast at the kitchen table. Her family was already sitting down and eating their breakfast.

"Good Morning, Kagome. So how are things going on between you and Sesshoumaru?" Grandpa asked happily.

"Nothing in particularly, grandpa. We're not even dating." She said and avoided eye contact with her family as she ate her food.

"Oh" The old man was taken aback by his granddaughter's cold response as he backed away when he saw his daughter-in-law looked at him with a frown. _That is not how you start a conversation in the morning. _She seemed to be saying with her eyes. While Souta gave a quizzing look at his sister but dare not say anything. It was not long before the sandwiches and cups were empty.

"I'm going off to school now, Bye." Souta said and gave every one a small kiss on the cheek before leaving the house.

"Bye grandpa. Bye mom. " Kagome said as she followed him behind. The siblings would walk down the stairs to the main road together before heading for different direction. Kagome was heading for the train station while Souta cycled to his school that was ten kilometers away from the shrine.

"Take care." Their mother said as she stood by the door.

"Ne, Sis, did anything happen?" Souta asked softly as they walked down the staircases of the shrine to the main road.

He noticed that his sister had not been paying much attention this morning. Her eye bags were not obvious but he knew her mind seemed to be wandering somewhere else. She drank from her cup though she had already finished the coffee. Really, it scared him. Had the well transformed her sister to something else? It gave him the shivers as he swallowed down his thoughts of the ghost climbing out of the Television.

"Eh?"

"You are…acting strange. What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong," Kagome shook her head and shrugged her shoulder. She did not wish to talk about anything regarding the other world now.

"Good morning, Souta! Oh, good morning, Higurashi san." Greeted Souta classmate, living a few blocks down the road. He was waiting for Souta to cycle to school together.

"Good morning," Kagome smiled back, "You two better get going," she said as she waved goodbye to them..

"You sure you are feeling well?"

"Seriously, Souta, I am not a child. Don't worry," she told him as she forced out a smile.

"See you later then," Souta said unconvincingly and he cycled off with his classmate.

"Whoa, your sister sure is a beauty," his friend said, glancing back at the older girl. He had heard of rumors about Kagome. There were gossips on how sickly she was yet still remained a beauty. "Does she have a boyfriend?"

Souta pondered at the question for a while before he answered, "Kind of."

"Aw… I was thinking of introducing her to my cousin," his friend replied as he made a funny expression to Souta. He could have guessed. "How is he like?"

"Erm…smart, handsome…" Souta began to describe his impression of his 'brother in law'.

Kagome was working in her office, looking through articles and typing on the computer. However, her mind wandered at the thought of the lovely couples, Inuyasha and Kikyo, Sango and Miroku, then Sesshoumaru and Sakara. She paused and pondered on the question that was etching on her - does she feel anything for him? Nothing much happened between them for the past seven years after Yoshiaki was born. The closest contact she had with him was sharing a hug. That's all. They had not even kissed. She just needed to visit him weekly to pass him the letter.

She wondered about his taciturn character. _Man, how will he survive if he was in the modern era where people are supposed to voice their opinions openly and be socially engaged? _But no he was not from the modern era at all. He was in the feudal era, five hundred years before her time.

The only reason she had gone back to the other world was to take care of her son. She would gladly stayed in the Golden Pavilion since she had finished her university. Yet, money issues unfortunately bonded her. That was something that you got to worry about in the modern times. Kagome had received a scholarship for her studies and the terms were to serve a bond of four years in the media and communication industry. That was why she started walking at the NHK as a journalist.

Though she enjoyed the job, there was not much pay given. Financial burdens had lightened slightly for her mother after she started working and Souta got a part time job. Still, it was impossible for her to pay back all the money for the scholarship if she chose to break the bond and stay in the Feudal Era. That was too unrealistic.

She long to spend time with her son. He was a good and well-behaved boy. She loved him so much. She always felt guilty of leaving Yoshiaki at the Golden Pavilion. And so were the days when she left for the Feudal Era, leaving behind her grandpa, mama and Souta. Yet, what could she do? She was in a dilemma. She could not bring Yoshiaki back to the modern era. The Lady would never allow that to happen.

Then there was the alliance between the western and northern lands. No doubt Sesshoumaru would keep his promise and Sakara would be the Lady of the Western lands. It would be a perfect wedding alliance for the lords and people of the two lands. It was not an unusual thing in the Feudal Era. Princesses were often married off to other lands to strengthen the forces of their own homeland. It did not involve commoners like her. Yet, she could not help but felt poignant about the issue.

The other day, she had requested to stop visiting him, and she was glad he understood her reasons. Maybe nothing more will ever happen between them. They were too different, bond together by a pup. Is this obligation or responsibility? And to make matters more complicated, they were from different eras. Oh, how she really hoped her life could be as normal as any other girls in her era. Many of her friends had moved on with their life.

"Higurashi san," suddenly a voice pulled her back from her thoughts.

"Yes! Hojo kun?" she said, surprised to see Hojo standing in front of her office table. Hojo was working in the same company as her. Since he had graduated one year early, he was her senior and had been promoted to the place of a junior manager, leading a small group of journalists in the company and Kagome happened to be one of them.

"My, what are you typing?" He asked as he looked at her computer screen. She had mistakenly typed some sentences wrongly due to her distractions, making an article on the arrival of the America ambassador to Japan becoming an entertainment article of an American pop star coming to Japan.

"Opps, sorry." Apologized Kagome as she moved on to delete the paragraphs.

"It's all right. Just make sure it does not get published," joked Hojo before he continued. "I would like to ask you out for dinner tonight. Would that be all right?"

"Tonight?" Yes, she was free.

"Actually, it's more like a business discussion. I want to discuss with you on the project that is going on this year." Said Hojo, smiling at her.

Hojo had stopped asking her out after he was attached to a girl he met in university. She had met the girl a few times and they were deciding to marry soon. During her times in university, Hojo had volunteered to be her tutor and she was grateful for that. He even recommended her for this job. Really, Hojo was a great friend.

Business. "Okay," agreed Kagome.

"Great. So I will meet you at the lobby at six thirty sharp. I will be driving," added Hojo beaming.

"Sure."

After work, Kagome promptly came down to the lobby at five minutes to the scheduled time and she saw Hojo already there waiting for her. Then, he drove them to a restaurant in Shinjuku district, which was famous for its western food.

"I would like spaghetti," Kagome said as she settled down on the table and looked at the menu. The lists contained food that couldn't have been served in the Feudal world.

"Right, spaghetti and beef steak, please." Hojo said to the waitress.

"So, what are we discussing about?" asked Kagome.

"That's right, here take a look at this" he took out a file full of papers. "The executive had said the company would like to send two journalists overseas to discuss with the workers there and one of them is me. They said I could choose an assistant, and I decided to choose you to accompany me to Europe, France to be specific, Higurashi san. Are you alright with that?"

"Me?" Kagome asked in disbelieve. There were many more talented journalists out there. She was considered a novice in this job.

"Yes. You are capable of and know how to speak French. Most importantly, you are someone I could work well with," It was true that she does know how to speak French which she took up as a minor course for her college but that did not mean she could speak very fluently. She was still afraid to speak French in front of native speakers.

"But wouldn't the trip take a weeks long?" Kagome asked.

"Maybe longer, depends on the situation."

A week or longer, that means she would not be able to return to the Feudal Era during the trip. If the days add up, it might mean that she would not be seeing her son for two weeks or so.

"Hojo kun, I am really glad that you have chosen me to take part in this project. But I need to think about it," Kagome said finally. Yes, she needed time to plan out her thoughts. In normal situation, she would gladly and happily accept the offer. She had always wanted to travel to France. She loved the French language and the beautiful sceneries over there, which she had viewed on magazines and televisions. It was such a rare opportunity for her.

"Are you worried about the money?" Hojo asked. He knew about the situation of Kagome.

"No… I mean yes," Kagome replied. Of course, how could one not worry about money issues? Unless, your father owned some oil company or was the CEO.

"Don't worry, the company would pay for all the fees, including air tickets, lodging. And if you do well for this project, you may given be given a bonus," Hojo said excitedly and encouragingly.

"Really? That's wonderful." A trip for free to France was like money dropped down the sky to her. Though she told herself it was a business trip, which meant work. She was excited about the proposal. It would be really great to visit France one day.

"Hn,, so, do think about it and tell me your decision next week. I hope you won't let me find another partner," Hojo continued and lowered his voice as if afraid someone might hear them. "This is the first time I am telling someone, Michiko is going with me. She was worried I could not take care of myself," added Hojo. Michiko was his girlfriend.

"You mean she ordered the air tickets already?" Kagome asked in disbelief.

"Yes," nodded Hojo sheepishly. "To tell you the truth, Michiko did nag me to choose you as my partner; she wants someone other than me to accompany her to do the shopping, you know. So please give me your consent as soon as possible."

"Sure, thanks." Kagome laughed. She had gone shopping with Michiko to choose the dress to wear for her dates with Hojo since they were introduced to each other through Hojo. She enjoyed talking with Michiko, who was sweet and friendly. All Kagome needed to do was to sort things out. The business trip was one of the happiest news she ever heard.

_Bienvenue en France!_

Kagome was reading a brochure attached to the documents that Hojo passed to her about the project. She was lying on her bed and she had a towel draped over her head to dry her wet her from showering. It was really a good opportunity for her to assist Hojo in this project. Not only was she able to work with a prestigious international company, she was able to fulfill her dream of visiting Europe. She had been dreaming about going to France for a long while, she wanted to see the Eliffel Tower, to eat the French delicacies and to walk along the Seine River.

However, the project may take more than a week and she was not going to see her family, her son. She knew Yoshiaki would miss her and she will miss him as much, she has promised she will be back in the Feudal Era to visit him every week.

_"Work over family, or family over work. Great, I am going to become a workaholic." _She thought to herself.

There was a knock on the door. It was Souta. "Sis, may I come in?"

"Yes, what is it?" Kagome said as she sat up on her bed, the documents were left neatly spread out on her bed sheets.

"Can you help me with my research paper? I need to search through some past years articles on it," said Souta. He knew his sister could allow him to gain access to the News Archives and it would save him so much time.

"Sure," answered Kagome after she looked through the thesis her brother was currently working on.

"Thank you!" Souta chirped happily.

"You are welcome," said Kagome with a smile.

"What are those?" he pointed as he took notice of the documents on the bed sheets.

"Work. Hojo has asked me if I would like to assist in a project overseas, in France." Kagome picked up the document and let her brother browsed through it.

"France? All fees waived? A bonus? This was a great offer, sis." True enough, the offer was too good for any novice journalist, who wished to beef up their portfolios and gained exceptional experience.

"Yeah, but it may take more than a week," she sighed, still in a dilemma to make a decision.

"I see, that means not being able to visit Yoshiaki. I'm sure he will be missing you," nodded Souta as he passed back the documents back to his sister. He had never seen Yoshiaki in person before; he only managed to see him via the photographs his sister took. He was sure his nephew was a fine young prince. He looked exactly like the young western lord, with the exceptions of inheriting his sister's eyes. It was upsetting to be in his sister's situation.

"I know, that's why I have not decided, yet."

"Right," agreed Souta as he understood his sister situation. "Did something happen at the Feudal Era?" he asked hesitantly. He had read the reply by Sesshoumaru and found it peculiar that the young Western lord asked about how his sister was doing lately. That was unusual, he thought. The young lord never mentioned about his sister in the letters before. Surely, they do converse during her visits, don't they?

"If you really want to know, Sakara has arrived at the Golden Pavilion." Kagome said as she contemplated on the appropriate words to describe the happenings in the Western Lands.

"Who?"

"The future Lady of the Western Lands. She comes from the Northern Lands."

"The future Western Lady?" exclaimed Souta. "Wow! I didn't know Sesshoumaru onii san was engaged. Tell me more about it." He pulled up the chair from Kagome's table and sat down, looking at his sister. He wanted to know what the situation was. He wanted to understand it.

"I didn't know about it too and I rather not talk about it." Kagome replied. She did not think she was in the position to speak about the political alliance. She had tried to understand the accord from Satsuki, her attendant, but only briefly. After all, this matter did not concern her. At least this was what she thought.

"Please...I am really interested," Souta urged, he was definitely not going to let his sister avoid the question.

"Souta, I only learnt that the Western Lands and the Northern lands were allies for many centuries, just a day before. And the Northern Lord and his daughter were now residing in the castle to discuss about the marriage. There was nothing else I could tell you about the alliance. It was beyond my knowledge. Satsuki had not talked much about it to me."

"I see. Then how is this Northern Princess like?"

"Well, I only seen Sakara once in a tea ceremony. She is really beautiful and elegant. I guess you can compare here to the royal family. They probably followed similar trainings in decorum and speech."

"Right," Souta said as he nodded in agreement. It sounded more like another fairytale to him. He had read many life stories on political marriages in the past times; it was still present in the modern days.

"It's getting late, you probably still have much homework. I heard you have a math test tomorrow."

"Um," said Souta but he remained seated. "Anyway, still feel this was rather unexpected. I mean, it was predictable that Sesshoumaru onii san would have been betrothed. He is a powerful lord, after all. Still I can't believe you only learnt about this recently."

"Nobody tells me anything. Most of the time, when I was at the Pavilion, I was with Yoshiaki or Satsuki," said Kagome in a low voice.

"Sis, I just want to tell you, we will always support you," said Souta as he eyes softened.

"I know," smiled Kagome, feeling so much lighter.

"By the way, these are the photographs you took." Souta said as he held up a small package to his sister and stood up to leave.

"Thanks a lot," mumbled Kagome as she lied back on her bed, while Souta exited the room. Carefully, she opened the envelope and took out the printed photographs. They were mostly photographs of Yoshiaki and some of her attendants and friends in the Feudal Era. Looking at the photographs, Kagome smiled as saw the twins and Sango cleaning the laundry while Miroku was at one side trying to stop their son from crying. They made a great couple. Then there were more pictures of Yoshiaki, practicing swordsmanship with precisions and elegance, just like his father. He resembled more of the young western lord each day. And Kagome could not help but wondered back to their complex situation.

She only had one photograph of the young Western Lord, which she secretly took. Sesshoumaru was not fond of taking photographs. She remembered trying to take one photograph of him, when he suddenly dodged the camera lens after Kagome clicked the shuttle bottom. He had declared the camera to be destroyed for it makes unusual sound and smelt of ink. Seriously, the lord was not one who she thought would appreciate modern technology.

_It was a promise._

The young lord stated the obvious reason. She understand the importance of a political alliance, it was manly to secure the power of the two clans. Just like collusion between firms in the real world. She wrote articles on these issues before and she was aware of the duty of leaders. However, she was unsure if these applied to the youkai society. She saw many parallels in their political system, their social class and traditions. And breaking a promise with a clan would lead to hostilities and even war. Neither any country nor clans would want to start a war with their own allies. It would only end up with casualties and hatred.

Yawning, Kagome stretched herself and touched her hair to check if they are dry before deciding it was time for her to sleep. She put away the documents and slipped into bed and pulled the covers up to her chin. Yet she could not sleep and stared at the ceiling. After a long while, she vaguely heard the Souta switched off the lights as his room, which was opposite to hers, and finally succumbed to the precious sleep her body needed.

. ….

Lady Sakara realized that the human girl was not present in the Pavilion for more than three days. That was strange, she thought. Sakara knew the girl was a priestess the moment she met her. Her aura was pure and powerful; moreover, the human girl was presentable and good looking than the human beings she had seen. Naturally, there was a hint of jealously in her heart when she saw Kagome.

The human girl had captured the Western Lord's attention once. Sakara could not help but compare her with herself. She wanted to understand this human, the woman who gave birth to the prince, Yoshiaki.

Sakara met Yoshikai a few times more in the Pavilion, however, they merely exchanged greetings and off he was gone to play with his playmates or to attend a lesson. Yoshiaki was still just a pup and she adored him earnestly. In any case, he was the child of his lover and the prince of Western lands. She would do her utmost best to treat him well.

She approached her attendant, Koemi to seek her answers to the whereabouts of the human girl. Dutifully, Koemi familiarized with the priestess attendants and asked them, yet they merely shrugged their shoulders or vaguely stated the Lady Kagome has gone home. With further questioning, she learnt about the girl's escort, Jaken.

She walked along the corridors, according to the direction given by the other attendants. She heard a childish laughter and the toady voice. It was the boy from the first day. The prince.

"Prince Yoshiaki! " shouted Jaken as he ran towards him frantically.

"What is it? Jaken sama?" asked the prince.

"It is time for your calligraphy lesson. The master had arrived."

"Aw, can I not play a while longer?"

"This is the lady's order." Jaken stressed.

"Fine." Yoshiaki knew his grandmother's words were law. He could not take the risk to break them. "But before that I have a request for you?"

"What is it?" asked Jaken quickly, they were running late and he did not want to be punished for the inability to discipline the prince.

"Close your eyes." The young prince said, his eyes gleaming with mischief.  
However, Jaken was too worried to take notice of it and closed his eyes obediently. As long as the prince went to the study room, he would not be in trouble.

The young prince slowly crept behind the toad, he was a foot taller than him now, and dropped a gigantic beetle on the toad head and ran away quickly, snickering as he went for his lesson.

"Gawk! Get off me." Jaken exclaimed as he tried to remove the beetle on his head. He momentary wondered if he had a better life than with Rin.

Just then, the beetle was removed from his head. He looked up and saw an unfamiliar face.

"You must be Jaken. I am Koemi, the attendant of the Lady Sakara northern princess," said Koemi as she placed the beetle on the ground.

"Yes, I am Jaken and thank you for your help," Jaken greeted back.

"My lady seeks the answer to the place you escort the girl, Kagome, to. Pray tell why is she not in the Pavilion?"

"I am afraid this Jaken is unable to answer," Jaken stifled at the mention of his lady's name. She was one of his responsibilities and he would not betray her.

"You are the only one who could answer Lady Sakara's questions."

"This Jaken lips are sealed." Jaken replied firmly. He knew not why the northern princess was interested with the priestess. He dared not guess her intentions.

"I see, your lack of intelligence has made you just a escort of a wretched being."

"Don't you dare insult my lady," warned Jaken. He was not stupid and he loved his job.

"A lady? I am aware she held no position in the Western lands."

"She does and she will," replied Jaken,

"Shall I remind you, Lady Sakara will be the next Western Lady." Koemi stressed, she was slightly taken aback by the toad youkai's behavior. She thought he was really dense but she did not expect it to be so resolute. She knew that she too would protect Lady Sakara in the same way.

"This Jaken do not care who your Lady is and you are definitely not going to get any answer from this one," retorted Jaken.

"Very well, I shall report back to Lady Sakara," Koemi said as she realized there was no way to get the toad to speak of the matter. "But do pay us a visit if you change your mind. Good bye," Koemi bowed before leaving. Though she despises the toad, he was still the attendant of the Western lands and she needed to show courtesy to protect the image of the Northern lands.

….…..

The main building of the new Pavilion was about to take shape; the wooden blocks that made up the corridors were in need of polishing and the left and right wing were half way done.

"Is this to your liking, Sakara?" Lord Tsunanari asked his daughter.

The Inuyoukai were taking a tour to inspect the construction of the new Pavilion. It was custom for the Western land to provide a new quarter for the future lady. The Northern lands did not interfere with the design or the construction of the new Pavilion. And the Northern lord was worried his only daughter could not adapt to the new environment.

"Yes father, it is perfect," Lady Sakara answered modestly.

"I can't wait to see this done. What do you think son?" The Western Lady asked, looking at her son who had not spoken for the past few hours.

They had been actively discussing the arrangements of the wedding, as well as, the political strategies and strengthened alliance. The young Western lord had been quiet and stoic throughout the discussion and Lady Sakara sat quietly beside her father, listening to their conversations. Occasionally, she would glance up to look at the young Western Lord, sat opposite to her. However, Sesshoumaru paid no attention to her at all, nor listened much to the discussions.

"Sesshomaru?" The Western Lady said his name and he snapped out of his trance of thoughts.

"Yes, mother?" the young lord replied.

"It is important to make our guests feel welcome," the lady scolded gently, "What do you think about this new Pavilion?"

"It is satisfactory," Sesshoumaru answered.

The Western Lady laughed lightly. Her son really needed lessons on courtesy, especially to noble guests. Thinking no more of her son's lack of enthusiasm to the subject, she moved on to introduce other areas of the new Pavilion that were to be built. Lord Tsunanari would be making his way back and only to return for the wedding ceremony. He was pleased with the arrangements and the mutual benefits from the marriage of convenience for both clans.

The Northern lands had been allies with the Western lands for centuries and Sakara's marriage to the young western lord would improve and strengthen their bilateral ties. He knew his daughter, Sakara loved the young lord with all her heart but he was wary of the lord's emotions. He has no doubt the young lord would treat his daughter well. Sakara was his only daughter, and he only wished she would be taken care of.


	6. Modern Era

MODERN ERA

"Inuyasha ojii san!" exclaimed Yoshiaki as he ran towards the red figure. He had gathered that his uncle looked different from the Inu youkai he knew because he was a hanyou. Inuyasha's mother was a human too. He wondered why he was born a full demon.

"Ojii san, Ojii san. Yoshiaki how many times must I tell you not to address me as Ojii san? It makes me feel so old," said Inuyasha as he squatted down to look at the young prince.

"But you are my uncle and grandmother said we must greet everyone with respect."

Inuyasha snorted and brushed it off, "So the old Lady decided to grant you two days off to breath in the air of the countryside?"

"Yes, grandmother told me that I am allowed two days to stay in Kaede sama's village. After that, I can go back to the castle with mother."

"Hmm.. that's very thoughtful of her."

"Let's play catch!" exclaimed Yoshiaki playfully as he pulled on the side of Inuyasha's hatori.

"I'm not a pup anymore," snorted Inuyasha as he folded his hands.

"I don't mind. As long as you agree to play with me."

"Well, I do mind." Stressed Inuyasha and he lifted his hand up to smack his neck when he felt something painful like an ant bite. "Ouch!"

He opened up his palm and saw the familiar looking old flea.

"Greetings to you, Myouga sama," said Yoshiaki as he looked at the flea on his uncle's palm.

After Myouga regained his composure, he said "My my, what do we have here? It's Yoshiaki! Another short stay in Kaede's village?"

"Yes. What about you, Myouga sama?" asked Yoshiaki.

"Oh! You probably already know it, Yoshiaki. It is about the marriage alliance between your father and the Northern princess," answered Myouga.

"What?" Inuyasha exclaimed.

"I met Lady Sakara. She is very pretty and graceful," said Yoshiaki as he looked thoughtfully at Inuyasha.

"That's not what I am concerned about. You mean the iceberg is getting married?" said Inuyasha as he looked at Myouga.

"It seems the wedding will be held in six months," said Myouga.

"Does Kagome know about it?" asked Inuyasha. There was a hint of concern in his voice.

"I think so, mother told me she met Lady Sakara at a tea ceremony," said Yoshiaki truthfully.

"That bastard. I will see how he is going to make up for this," vowed Inuyasha.

"Can I visit the well?" asked Yoshiaki as he turned his head and pointed at the forest.

"Of course you can. Inuyasha sama will bring you there but no one has pass through it except Kagome sama. Oh yes, Inuyasha sama as well but that was a long time ago," answered Myouga. Children were innocent and had such short attention span.

"Really? What was the other world like?" asked Yoshiaki as he looked at his uncle.

"Well, the place smelt terrible and there were dangerous creatures around. Something that ticks which Kagome called it an alarm clock and her bicycle is ridiculous. But the ramen is delicious," said Inuyasha as he led the young boy deep inside the forest, putting aside his thoughts on the previous conversation.

"That sounds really interesting. I wish I could see the other world," said Yoshiaki as he followed his uncle.

"Wait till you grow up. I am sure you can surpass five hundred years. Sesshoumaru sama is already over seven hundred years old," said Myouga as he jumped onto Yoshiaki's shoulder.

"Really?" asked Yoshiaki.

"I am quite certain," Myouga nodded.

"That would be wonderful. Oh wow," exclaimed Yoshiaki as he ran towards the well and peeped in. "It looked just like a normal well."

"Of course it does," snorted Inuyasha. Suddenly, his nose picked up an unfamiliar smell. He sensed danger.

"Look out!" shouted Inuyasha as he drew his sword and knocked down two flying blades.

Three attackers immerged from the woods with swords in their hands. Their faces were covered with a black cloth, showing only their eyes. Inuyasha growled at the attackers as he stood in front of Yoshiaki.

"What do you want?" Inuyasha said as he tilted Tetsusaiga dangerous at the three attackers. However, they made no response and made a jump to attack. Without hesitation, Inuyasha swung his sword, "WindScar!" and turned the three attackers into ashes. It seemed they were not as skilful as he thought.

"Feh!" snorted Inuyasha as Tetsusaiga turned back to its old form. He was confused by their intention and became aware that their goal was the boy when he sensed another youki behind him. He turned around quickly and was shocked to see another demon swinging a sword at Yoshiaki at the brink of the well.

"Yoshiaki!" cried Inuyasha as he used iron claws to eliminate the other demon and try to catch Yoshiaki from dropping down the well. However, when his hand reached down in the well, there was nothing down there. The boy was gone.

The last attacker was still breathing and he struggled to get up but Inuyasha grabbed his kimono and asked with menace, "Who sent you here?"

The attacker simply glared back at Inuyasha. Frustrated, Inuyasha tore the black cloth away from the attacker's face. As soon as he did, the attacker's eyes widened in pain and he began to melt. In an instant, Inuyasha realised his hold and watched the attacker melted into nothingness.

"Acids," muttered Inuyasha. He looked down the well once more and seeing that it was empty, he made a jump, hoping that the well would transport him to where Yoshiaki was. However, he only landed on the bottom of the well just like any other attempt after Naraku's death.

"Darn well, where is the boy?" Inuyasha said as he began to dig the soil, trying to find a way to access the other side of the world.

"Inuyasha sama, I think this is not a effective method to find Yoshiaki chan," said Myouga who landed on his shoulder.

Inuyasha stopped his digging and grabbed the flea in between his thumb and second finger, "Where were you just now?" growled Inuyasha as he glared at the old flea.

"I was just hiding away from danger," answered Myouga with an innocent smile.

Inuyasha growled in annoyance and pressed his fingers together before letting the flea fell to the bottom of the well.

Please be safe, Yoshiaki.

….

He was thrown down the well, yet he felt no impact of the fall. He felt himself floating and finally landed on the bottom of the well. He stretched his ears to hear any sound and realized the fighting had stopped but he could not sense any youki.

"Inuyasha ojii san?" said Yoshiaki as he climbed out of the well, his head turned to take in his surrounding. He was thrown into an unfamiliar place. He took a deep breath, the air smelt different. He opened the wooden and went out of the wooden building and spotted a shrine and a house. The place looked familiar, he had seen it in his mother's photographs. The wind blew his hair and his nose twitched, as he smelt his mother's scent. That was right. He concluded this must be where his mother had grown up and lived. He was in the other world.

Feeling excited, he traced the smell of his mother easily and came to a small open glass door at the second floor, and he climbed over it and landed in a room. There was a raised bed and many foreign looking objects that he had never seen before. He touched a few things here and there as he explored his mother's room.

Just then, he heard a sharp ringing tone. Feeling alarmed, he walked quietly out of the room and tried to find the source of the sound. He came upon a white strange looking object, which was making the strange loud piercing noise that hurt his ears. Just as he was about to destroy the horrendous object, it spoke.

"Hello, this is Higurash san. I am currently not at home. Please leave a message, I will contact you as soon as possible."

That must be grandmother's voice, Yoshiaki thought as he smiled.

Meanwhile, the object made a beep sound before the object spoke in another voice, "Sis, Keiko here. I am so worried. I heard father is unwell. Which hospital is he staying in? I will be coming to Tokyo this week. Do call back soon. Bye."

With that, the object stopped making any voice and Yoshiaki stared at the object as if it was the most amazing thing he had ever seen.

Being bored with no one in the house, Yoshiaki decided to explore this world and went out to look for something called hospital. He thought he might find his family there.

He walked down the street, oblivious to the stares people gave him as he walked on. He looked around to spot for any signs that would direct him to the place called hospital.

"Are you lost, boy?" asked a lady who tapped on his shoulder gently.

Yoshiaki turned around and looked at the lady, "I am looking for something called hospital."

"There are many hospitals around this area? What is the name of the hospital you are looking for?" asked the lady as she bent down so that her eyes leveled with Yoshiaki's.

Yoshiaki shook his head, "I do not know." He looked at the strange clothes which the lady dressed and commented, "You dress like my mother."

The lady smiled, "You dress like a warrior from the Warring state."

"I am," answered Yoshiaki.

"May I help you?" asked a man beside the lady. He was dressed in all blue and there was a name tag on his breast pocket which read "Police."

"I am afraid this boy is lost, Sir," answered the lady.

"Right, I think it is best if you come along with me to the police station," said the policeman as he held out his hand.

"I am not going anywhere, I am going to the hospital," said Yoshiaki as he stepped back from the policeman.

"Seriously, is this cosplay?" "The boy is too young." Yoshiaki ears twitched and his head turned to look at the crowds of people gathering around him. There were murmurs and some took out gadgets, which was so foreign. Suddenly, his eyes were blinded briefly by bright lights, which came from the strange gadgets. Yoshiaki felt very uncomfortable and he turned away from the crowd quickly and ran. Not knowing that he was running across the road.

"Don't run. It is dangerous," cried the policeman as he gave chase, searching for a whistle to blow.

"There are so many strange looking demons here," Yoshiaki thought as he successfully dodged the four wheeled demons that was making honking noises and coming towards him. However, he was unaware that were others that were coming from the opposite side of the road. This time the metal demon approaching him was much taller and bigger than the other. It was honking furiously and Yoshiaki was so stunned that he stood frozen to the ground.

…..

"Isn't he cute," squealed the girls in his class as they gathered to look at the touch screen on the phone.

Souta rolled his eyes as he focus his attention back on the computer to type his report. "Why can't this people be more considerate, this is a library," muttered Souta.

"Hey Souta check this out. A boy dressed up as a warrior in the warring state," said his friend.

"Pass," said Souta as he glued his eyes to the computer screen, ignoring his friend.

"Really, Souta. You would not want to miss this. This picture has just been uploaded a few hours ago and everyone is talking about it."

"Alright." Souta said as he took his friend's phone and glimpsed at the picture on the screen. The boy looked very familiar, he knew he had seen him somewhere before. His eyes were golden and he was wearing a white kimono, which matched his silver hair.

"Why is he doing here?" exclaimed Souta so loud that almost everyone in the library turned his or her head to look at him.

"Shh," the librarian chided.

…..

"Mama, I brought you lunch," said Kagome as she handed the lunch box to her mother. "Are you feeling better? Grandpa?" asked Kagome as she took a stool at sit beside the hospital bed.

"Yes, I am. I am so bored, Kagome my child. Have you brought anything for me?" said the old priest.

Meanwhile, in the hospital, the latest news was being broadcast on the television. "A traffic accident had happened. Fortunately, no one was injured. A car crashed into at bus when the bus suddenly stopped the engine in the middle of the road. The bus driver claimed that a strangely dressed boy ran across the road. A video camera was taken when the boy dashed across the road, oblivious to the cars. However, the boy is missing from the scene and the police are still investigating the case.

Kagome's phone rang and she answered, "Moshi moshi."

"Sis, Souta here. Have you read the news?" said Souta.

"Huh? What news? I am visiting grandpa now," answered Kagome as she looked up confused at the small television at the corner of the patient room. It was currently showing the popular television drama.

"Oh never mind. My school has this picture going wide. You have to look at it. I am sending you the picture," replied Souta anxiously.

"Okay," said Kagome as she looked at her phone and saw a new file was sent to her phone. She opened it and gasped when she saw the picture of her son. "Souta! Where did you get this picture?"

"It's a long story, anyway, it seems Yoshiaki is in Tokyo now. I mean in this era. We got to find him before anyone else."

"Right. I will be on my way to find him now. What about you?" said Kagome as she stood up and prepared to take her bag, earning a questioning look from Grandpa and her mother.

"I still have classes till three. Meanwhile, I will ask around to gather clues," answered Souta apologetically.

"It's alright. I will give you a call when I found him. Thanks."

After giving a short explanation to Grandpa and her mother, Kagome went out to search for her son. She looked at the picture more carefully and tried to identify the buildings in the background.

…

"Thank you for saving me, sir," said Yoshiaki gratefully as he looked up at his saviour who had carried him away from the road to a safe place. Yoshiaki felt much better as they walked in the park. There were fewer people and not many strange looking gadgets lying around.

"I am Kimura Toshi," replied Kimura.

"Thank you. Mr Kimura. I am Yoshiaki."

"Why did you run across the street? Yoshiaki kun. It is dangerous."

"I was scared. The people made me uncomfortable," answered Yoshiaki truthfully. He did not know the reason but he felt calm and safe with this adult. There was a familiar aura in him that Yoshiaki could not identify. It seemed as if they have met before.

"Indeed," Kimura nodded.

"Do you know me?" asked Yoshiaki curiously.

"Maybe. Where are you heading to, Yoshiaki kun?"

"A hospital. My great grandfather is there. Can you bring me there? But I do not know which hospital he is in."

"That is a difficult mystery to solve, isn't it? Who is your great grandfather?"

"Um, his surname is Higurashi and he is a Shinto priest. My family reside in the Shinto shrine around this area," answered Yoshiaki, trying to remember all the facts about his family in the modern era.

"You mean the Shinto shrine with the Scared tree?"

"Yes!"

"Hm, I guess I know where to find your family," answered Kimura with a smile.

"Really? How did you know? Are you a friend of great grandfather?"

"We are closer than friends," Kimura answered as he led the boy to the hospital.

….

Kagome looked around. Based on the photograph, Yoshiaki was supposed to be walking across this street. There were road blocks as if an accident had just happened.

Her phone rang and she answered, "Moshi moshi."

"Kagome, I found Yoshiaki," said her mother.

"Really. Where is he? In the hospital?" asked Kagome, feeling much relieved.

"Yes. Kimura san brought him here."

"Kimura san? Who is that?" asked Kagome as she tried to remember anyone by the surname. Yes, there were a couple of classmates in high school with that surname.

"It is hard to explain. Will you be coming over? Or shall I take him home? The visiting hours are over."

Kagome glanced at her watch and replied, "Take him home then. I will get back home soon."

"Sure. Goodbye and take care," said Kagome's mother as she placed the public phone down.

"What did Mother say?" asked Yoshiaki eagerly as he looked up at his grandmother.

"She said she will be waiting for us at home and we will be going home," replied his grandmother as she packed her bag.

"Goodbye great grandfather," said Yoshiaki as he kissed the old man on his cheek.

The old priest grinned. "Goodbye Yoshiaki. It is so wonderful to meet you."

"Me too! I will come and visit you again. I promise," said Yoshiaki.

The old priest smiled happily and turned to look at the man dressed in white, "By the way, thank you Kimura sensei."

"You are welcome. It is a coincidence to meet Yoshiaki kun."

"Nonetheless, we are grateful for your help," said Kagome's mother as she reached for the door to leave the wardroom.

"Hn. Take care then, Mrs Higurashi and Yoshiaki kun," said Kimura as he greeted them goodbye.

As Mrs Higurashi held onto the hand of her grandchild, she smiled, "Before we go back, it is best if you get changed first."

…

"Mama, Souta. I'm home." Kagome said as she took off her shoes at the genkan, noting that her mother's and brother's shoes were on the shelf. Yoshiaki came running to her wearing a set of Souta's old clothes.

"Mother!" Yoshiaki jumped into her embrace.

"Yoshiaki. How are you? I am so worried," said Kagome as she hugged her son back eagerly. She was glad that he was unhurt and safe.

"Everything is fine. I am sorry to worry you."

"Welcome home, sis. Mama is just preparing dinner," said Souta as he stood at the corridor with a book in his hand.

"Alright! I will just put down my things. Give me a minute," replied Kagome as she walked pass the corridor towards the staircase. Yoshiaki followed her behind excitedly, telling her about his day.

…

Yoshiaki sat on the bed as he browsed the storybooks that Kagome had brought to him. He yawned as he read finished the last page of the storybook and lied down on the bed. He stared at his mother's back, watching her typing on the laptop. It was fascinating to watch the kanji and letters appear on the screen instantly without Kagome holding a brush. It was intriguing and interesting.

Yet, he felt out of place. This era was where his mother grew up and lived. He never knew the extent of the difference between the two worlds until he experienced it himself. There were so many gadgets and things he did not know. He felt distant from the people around this era. The way people in this era act and the clothing they wore, it was not supposed to feel strange to him. Yet, this era was all so different and foreign to him. He disliked this feeling. Though he was very curious, he found it tiring to keep asking questions about different objects lying around him. He felt lonely and isolated. As if he was an outsider.

"Mother."

"Yes?" Kagome turned her head around to look at her son.

"I want to go home," said Yoshiaki as he looked at her mother. He hoped she could understand what he was feeling. He wanted to go back to the home where he grew up in. "When will we be going home?"

Kagome gazed at his eyes softly. She was shocked that he felt uncomfortable even though he adapted rather well.

"We will be going home tomorrow morning," she reassured him.

"Hn."


End file.
